Method and means for handling hot asphalt or similar material



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M ETHDD'AND MEANS `FOR HANDLING HOT 'ASPHALT 0R SIMILARMATERIAL March 1RV A K f T.

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UNITED STATES Patented Mar. 10, 1925,

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. GILCHRIST, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TG THE FLINTKOTECOMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR HANDLING HOT ASPHALT OR SIMILAR MATERIAL.

Application filed December 28, 1921.

To all Lo/tom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. GILoHRIs'r, a citizen of the United States.residing` at Joliet, in the county of Vill and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Methods and Means for HandlingHot Asphalt or Similar Material, of which the following is aspecification.

In the commercial utilization of asphalt and similar materials which arenormally solid or nearly solid at atmospheric temperature, it is oftendesirable to pump the material through a pipe line to a point of usewhile liquefied by heat. In order to do this it has been proposed tomaintain the pipe line heated by means of a steam jacket. IVhile withthis method the material'within the pipe may be heated to a point whereit is sutiiciently liquid to be pumped, it is often much below thetemperature needed for utilization. For example, in the manufacture ofthe so called asphalt shingles formeel by impregnating paper felt withasphalt it is necessary to heat the asphalt to about 450O while steam at150 pounds pressure has a temperature of only 365". It will be apparentthat if asphalt heated to 450 be pumped through a steam j acketed pipethe steam being at any temperature commercially practicable, the asphaltwill be cooled to such an extent as to require reheating before it canbe used. A pipe line carefully and thoroughly heat insulated willtherefore be more satisfactory than a steam jacketed pipe with the plantin active operation, but should the asphalt in such a line be allowedtoremain quiet long enough to cool it is evident that flow can not bereestablished without again heating the material therein.

For these reasons it is desirable to provide means for heating the pipeline to sufticiently liquefy the contents so that they may be pumped andthen to depend on a heat insulation, the material to be pumped beinghotter than steam in the heating jacket.

To provide for both conditions satisfactorily this invention provides amethod and means by which the same elements are used for both purposes,at one time, as when starting the plant, to heat by steam, and atanother time to act as a heat insulating jacket so that material hotterthan the steam may be pumped without loss of heat thereto.

Serial No. 525,503.

For this purpose the pipe line is jacketed as for steam and connectionsma-de thereto whereby the steam may be shut oil', the jackets connectedto a vacuum pump, and a vacuum, which is an etlicient heat insulator,produced therein for the subsequent pumping operation. The kettle inwhich the material is heated may also be similarly jacketed, the jacketbeing initially supplied with steam to soften the material and thenexhausted to produce a vacuum to prevent loss of heat as much aspossible.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, together withfurther objects and advantageous details and combinations of parts,reference may be had to the accom panying drawing illustrating a layoutof an asphalt plant employing the subject matter of this invention forthe manufacture of asphalt shingles or the like.

Referring to this drawing at A is indicated a steam supply shown asconsisting of a battery of boilers located within a suitable boilerroom. At C is indicated the usual kettle in which the asphalt is heated,while at D is indicated a tank in which the felt is saturated with thehot asphalt. At M is indicated a pipeline connecting the kettle with thesaturating tank, this line being jacketed so that steam from the boilersmay be passed therealong or a vacuum produced thereabout as will besubsequently explained.

As shown the jacket of the line M is in two sections, these sectionsheilig connected together by a small pipe N. The jacket might be made inone section or more than two if desired. At B is shown a suction pumpdriven by a motor E. As shown the boilers are connected to one end ofthe steam jacket of the line M by means of a main steam line F, steambeing returned to the boilers through a return steam line G. Valves at land 2 in these lines may be employed to control communication of thesteam jacketed line with the boilers. Botween the valve 2 and the jacketed line is a suction pipe L communicating with the suction side ofthe pump B and having a valve 7 therein by which communication with thispump may be controlled. A second suction pipe J extends from the mainsteam line F to the pump, a valve 5 controlling this line.

As shown also the kettle C is jacketed, the pipe H leading thereto fromthe main steam line and having a control valve 3,

while a pipe I controlled by a valve 4 joins this jacket with the returnsteam line G. This jacket is also connected to the vacuum pump by meansof a suction line K communicating with the suction line L, a valve Gbeing interposed in the line L closely adjacent the pump. A valve 8 isalso placed in this line adjacent the kettle C. The kettle C is heatedin the usual manner as is well known in the art it being thoughtunnecessary to show such means in the drawing.

`When the plant is to be started in operation the kettle C containsasphalt at substantially atmospheric temperature which is in a more orless solid state. The j acketed line M also contains more or less solidasphalt. Steam is iirst introduced by opening the valves l, 2, and 3 sothat the jackets in the line M and about the kettle become heated,whereupon the asphalt is liquefied. The kettle C, however, is heated byother means to a much higher temperature than the steam in the jacket.Then the material is in the proper condition for pumping, the Valves l,2, and 8 are closed, and the valves 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are opened. Thepump D is then set in operation by means of the motor E, and the steamand air are sucked out of the jackets, such operation taking placethrough the line J to the acketed line M and through part of line Gr andlines L and K to the pump, the exhaust of the pump being indicated at P.When this has been ei'ected, a vacuum is maintained in the jackets whichfurnishes an effective heat insulation so that the hot asphalt may bepumped from the kettle C into the saturating tank and be sutiicientlyhot in the tank to be utilized without an additional heating operation.

As shown the jackets about the kettle C and the pipe line M may beseparately manipulated to Connect them as desired with either the vacuumpump or the steam supply. For example, steam may be admitted to thejacket about the kettle only, by opening valves 1 and 4C and closingvalves 2 and S, while this kettle jacket may be put in communicationwith the pump by closing valves 3 and 4t, opening valve 8, closing valve7 and opening valve 6, opening the suction to the suction line J, steamline H,

. the kettle acket, suction line K and L to the pump. Likewise thejackets of line M only may be connected to the steam supply by openingvalves l and 2 and closing valves 3, 4, 5, and 7, or to the pump byclosing valves 1. 2, 3, and 8 and opening valves 5, 6, and 7. lVhile nopump for forcing material through line M has been shown in the drawing,one may be used therein it desired or, in case the kettle and saturatingtank are disposed conveniently for such action, gravity may be reliedupon to convey the material.

Having thus described one embodiment of this invention it should beevident to those skilled in the art that many changes and modificationsmight be made therein witlr out departing from its spirit or scope asdefined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. The method of handling asphalt and similar materials which comprisesheating the mass of material to a high degree, heating the material in atransmission pipe line leading from said means to a lower temperature torender it sufhciently fluid to flow therethrough, discontinuing theheating of said pipe line and heat-insulating the same; and causing thematerial to tlow therethrough.

2. The method of handling asphalt and similar materials which comprisesheating a mass ot material in a receptacle Jfrom which a jacketed pipeline leads to a point of use, passing steam through said jacket toinitially heat the material therein so that it may liow, then exhaustingthe steam and maintaining a vacuum in said acket to heatinsulate saidline, and causing the heated material to flow therethrough.

3. The method of handling asphalt and similar materials which comprisesheating the material to a high degree, heating a transmission line to alower temperature but above the melting point of the material, and thenheateinsulating the line and causing said highly heated material to flowtherethrough.

4. An apparatus of the class described comprising a receptacle in whichthe material may be heated, a receptacle in which the material may beused, a pipe line connecting said receptacles, a jacket about said line,a steam supply, a suction pump, and means whereby the steam supply andthe pump may be placed selectively in communication with said jacket.

5. An apparatus ot the class described comprising a steam acketed kettlein which material may be heated, a saturating tank, a jacketed pipe linefrom said kettle to said tank, a steam supply, a vacuum pump, and meanswhereby the jackets of said kettle and pump may be individually andselectively connected to said steam supply and to said pump.

6. An apparatus oit the class described comprising a system in whichheated materia-lis to be transported, means for heating said system,means for heating the material to a higher temparature than said system.and means for discontinuing the heating of said system and forinsulating it against loss of heat.

In testimony whereof I have aiiiired my signature.

FRANK H. GILCHRIST.

